“I thought it was a limited company.”
“Yes, but I've got all Arnold's shares, which apparently gives me control. Of course I've nothing against holding the shares, but I'm not going to control the mine. It's absurd. I suppose Kenneth wouldn't like to be chairman?”
“I shouldn't think so,” said Antonia indifferently. “But why worry? You may be arrested for murdering Arnold before you have to think about appointing chairmen.”
Roger blinked at her, and said uneasily: “I don't see why you need to bring that up, just when I'd forgotten about it. The fact of the matter is I don't like it. Not that I did murder Arnold, because such an idea never entered my head, but it's no good saying people don't get convicted of crimes they didn't commit. Very often they do. Let alone that it's very disturbing to have a lot of detectives with their eyes glued on you. That's one reason why I shall be glad to get out of this place. I can't stand having that Superintendent bobbing in and out like a dog at a fair. It's not my idea of comfort, by any means. If he thinks he's going to treat my flat like his own house he's mistaken, and that's all there is to it.”
Antonia put the iron back on the stove. “Giles wants to know why you can't live in Eaton Place,” she observed.
“Because I don't want to be bothered with a great house like that, and a lot of servants worrying me to know whether I'll be in to lunch, and what I'd like to wear. Besides, if you run a pack of servants you have to look after them. I've already told Kenneth he can have Eaton Place, which, of course, is why Violet's so keen on fixing me up in a flat.”
“One thing I will say for you, Roger,” remarked Antonia, preparing to depart, “you may be an ass in some ways, but there aren't many flies on you. All the same, there aren't many on Violet either, so don't be too optimistic about cutting Kenneth out.” She paused, as a thought occurred to her, and added: “I suppose you couldn't see your way to marrying her? Then Kenneth could marry Leslie, and everything would be splendid. Violet would make you rather a good wife, too.”
“No one would make me a good wife,” replied Roger simply. “Moreover, if by Leslie you mean that girl who was here yesterday, I don't think it would be splendid at all. We shouldn't get on. Every time I meet her, she looks at me as though she'd like to murder me. It's very unnerving, I can tell you.”
At this moment the door opened, and Violet looked into the kitchen. “Oh, you are here!” she said. “I heard someone talking, so I thought it must be you two.”
Antonia could not help wondering how much she had heard, and had the grace to blush. However, Violet was not paying any attention to her. She suggested to Roger that they should go out together to look at flats, and added, with a thoughtful glance at his suit, that she knew of a very good tailor if he had not already got one of his own.